Chain of Medicare clinics expands into the south burbs

Synergy Construction Group says it will spend more than $1.3 million to turn a distressed property in south suburban Blue Island into its seventh Oak Street Health medical facility.

The 10,000-square-foot building, located at 3026 Burr Oak Ave. in the Cal-Sag Enterprise Zone, was most recently a Family Dollar store. Synergy will serve as developer and general contractor of the project, which is scheduled for completion in September.

“We are thrilled about the investment Synergy is making in Blue Island,” Mary Schmidt, administrator of the Cal-Sag Enterprise Zone, said in a news release. “Area residents will soon benefit from closer access to excellent medical care as well as more employment opportunities for area residents.”

Synergy also developed the six other locations of Oak Street Health, a Chicago-based chain of bilingual primary care clinics exclusively for people with Medicare. It has five locations in the city — Ashburn, Avalon Park, Bronzeville, Edgewater and Portage Park — and one in west suburban Berwyn.

Synergy’s other projects include developing and building Assemble, shared offices set to open next month at Clark and Division, and constructing the Chop Shop restaurant in Wicker Park.

Established in 1983, the Cal-Sag Enterprise Zone enables certain sites in Alsip, Blue Island, Calumet Park, Dixmoor, Robbins and parts of unincorporated Cook County to qualify for tax breaks and other incentives.